The city of Lishui – in East China's Zhejiang province – is witnessing the rapid growth of new industries that are boosting its development.

The value-added growth rate of the city's manufacturing industry, a key component of the digital economy, reached 30.7 percent in the first half of 2023, thanks to the booming computer chips sector.

The city has introduced 31 semiconductor projects, with a total investment of over 60 billion yuan ($8.27 billion). 10 semiconductor enterprises have generated cumulative output of 1.11 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 247.5 percent.

Lishui's exceptional air quality, which meets the high environmental standards needed for integrated circuits materials, is said to have contributed to the success of the semiconductors industry.

To boost the productivity in its mountainous areas, Lishui has applied a digital reform called Skyeye Watch. The initiative uses more than 30 remote sensing satellites to collect real-time environmental data, which is then integrated into a comprehensive geographic information map.

This enables better coordination in terms of productivity, transportation and resource allocation – and improves the quality of public services for people in remote areas.

What's more, in order to further propel its development, Lishui has joined 10 provincial-level mountain and sea collaborative industrial parks, attracting a total investment of 66.2 billion yuan.